Editorial: Give George Lucas, foundation a chance to come up with Grady housing plan

WE LOOK forward to seeing what George Lucas and the Marin Community Foundation come up with as they move forward with plans to build affordable housing on Grady Ranch.

After Lucas, facing a legal battle and costly governmental red tape, abandoned plans to build a large film studio complex there, he said he wants to see affordable housing built on the long-closed dairy ranch below Big Rock on Lucas Valley Road.

The land already is zoned for housing. And there is housing literally next door.

Neighbors and local environmental groups already have criticized the idea, questioning the logic of building affordable housing nearly four miles away from Highway 101. The project doesn't promise to be a model for the "walkable," bike-friendly mix of housing and jobs that appears to be the prevailing pattern for Marin growth these days.

There also have been questions about whether the cost of extending utilities and making the necessary improvements prices Grady Ranch out of the picture as a site that makes sense for affordable housing.

But that doesn't mean the project doesn't have a future.

Its future likely will depend on how much Lucas, the Marin Community Foundation and possible grant providers are interested in spending to underwrite the development.

The cost of addressing those concerns would scare off most developers.

But Lucas and the foundation deserve a chance to come up with a plan to address those challenges. So far, they don't seem discouraged by them.

And there is a pressing need in this county for well-designed affordable housing, especially for seniors. The cost of land often is a huge hurdle in Marin for such projects. That isn't a problem this time.

Yes, there are many questions that need to be raised and answered, but to dismiss Lucas' plan, at this early stage, would be wrong.

By derailing the filmmaker's studio proposal, Marin lost hundreds of new jobs and millions of dollars for the local economy. Derailing a rare opportunity to help meet Marin's need for affordable housing would compound that loss.

This project is still in the talking stages.

We don't know what the development would look like, its layout and size, how traffic would be addressed and how the ranch's creeks would be protected.

We do know Lucas has a track record of being a responsible developer and impressive steward of the land because of what he has done nearby at his Skywalker Ranch and Big Rock facilities.

We also know the support, resources and involvement of Lucas and the Marin Community Foundation give this project great potential.

We hope critics give them the opportunity to come up with a detailed plan before going on the attack. They have earned that at the very least.